Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clay County solid waste manager reports recycling gains, leachate hauling and composting plans
Summary
Solid waste manager Corey Bang told commissioners the department processed 97,343 pounds of household hazardous waste in 2025, expanded freon-removal and mattress-recycling efforts, hauled 3.4 million gallons of leachate and will pursue MPCA grant funding to pilot a food-waste composting facility in Clay County.
Corey Bang, Clay County’s solid waste manager, told commissioners that the department processed about 97,343 pounds (18.6 tons) of household hazardous waste in 2025 and served 1,632 households.
Bang said the county’s resource recovery center (RRC) averaged roughly 48 private customers per day in 2025 and recycled hundreds of appliances, tires and mattresses. "Any item reused is an item that is not filling our landfill," he said, noting partnerships with the City of Moorhead and organizations such as Furniture Mission of the Red River Valley to redirect usable items to residents in need.
Bang reported an extended three‑year agreement with Moorhead and said roughly 80% of solid waste handled at the transfer station is from Moorhead residents. He also said the county recycled 960 Freon appliances and deconstructed 465 mattresses in partnership with Becker County.
On leachate, Bang said Clay County hauled about 3,408,300 gallons in 2025 — roughly 541 loads — and that hauling produced savings compared with on‑site treatment. Commissioners asked about annual costs; Bang said Pelican Rapids charges about 5.9¢ per gallon while Fargo’s rate is about 9¢, and he cautioned that PFAS removal technology remains expensive and largely untested. "The only thing holding us back at this point is PFAS removal," he said. "Right now, the solution is dilution."
Bang described a freon-removal program that moved on‑site in late 2024, expanding capacity into a year‑round facility and yielding what he said was a $33,600 positive swing in the solid waste budget for 2025 (excluding metal recycling reimbursements).
He told the board the department is exploring a pilot composting facility for food waste, citing MPCA grant opportunities and the estimate that more than 30% of Clay County waste is food waste. "With funding available through the MPCA and the knowledge that over 30% of Clay County waste is food waste, we feel this is a good time to look at composting again," Bang said.
Bang closed by thanking staff and describing ongoing efforts to share resources regionally, noting that future MPCA rules on CND (construction and demolition) materials will require the county to evaluate additional handling options.
The board took no formal additional action on the solid waste presentation; commissioners praised staff work and partnerships and asked follow‑up questions about leachate costs and PFAS treatment options.
